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Three methods for an effective spinal stenosis treatment

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Spinal stenosis describes the narrowing of the spinal canal in your lumbar spine (lower back). Treatments for this condition will vary from patient to patient, depending on the extent of the person’s condition. If you’ve been diagnosed with spinal stenosis, there are steps you can take to make your treatment more effective, no matter your specific regimen. The following guidelines may help:

Talk things over with your doctor. Before you begin making changes to your lifestyle to address your symptoms, discuss your plans with your doctor. He or she can make recommendations for activities you might want to work into your spinal stenosis treatment regimen and others you might want to avoid based on your personal needs and condition. For example, you might be planning to become more active after your diagnosis to increase spinal flexibility and muscle strength, but certain motions may do more harm than good for your spine.

Follow instructions when taking medications. Whether you have been prescribed medications to cope with pain your spinal stenosis causes or you’re taking over-the-counter drugs, be mindful of the dosages and warnings that come with them. If you find yourself tempted to take more than the recommended dosage of a medication to achieve sufficient relief from your symptoms, discuss it with your doctor. Taking too much can cause serious medical complications, even with common over-the-counter medications like acetaminophen or ibuprofen. Natural remedies may also be beneficial, but you should always check with your doctor to ensure that supplements don’t interact with any medications you’re taking or have any other side effects that you should know about.

Make necessary lifestyle changes.Spinal stenosis treatment should generally include some form of activity, preferably a low-impact exercise like yoga or Pilates that poses a smaller risk of injuring the spine than playing a high-impact sport like football or soccer. In addition to strengthening the muscles supporting the spine, regular exercise can help you shed any excess weight and thereby lighten the load placed on the spine every day. For the same reason, it’s wise to be mindful of what you eat, ensuring you consume foods high in nutrients but low in refined sugars and other empty calories. A balanced diet can enhance spinal stenosis treatment as well as overall health; the same holds true for stopping tobacco use and limiting alcohol consumption.

Minimally invasive spinal stenosis surgery

In some cases, conservative treatments aren’t enough to manage the symptoms of spinal stenosis. Therefore, surgery to address the underlying cause of the spinal stenosis may be an option. Laser Spine Institute performs minimally invasive spine surgery as a safer and effective alternative to traditional open spine procedures.^ To learn more about our procedures, which have helped more than 75,000 patients find relief from chronic neck or back pain, contact our dedicated team.

Our board-certified surgeons+ perform our minimally invasive spine surgery in state-of-the-art facilities throughout the country that are built around patient-centered care. This is done on an outpatient basis by using muscle-sparing techniques and a less than 1-inch incision in order to alleviate symptoms while resulting in less bleeding and a lower risk of complication compared to traditional open back surgery.^

Find out if you are a potential candidate for our minimally invasive spine surgery by reaching out to Laser Spine Institute today and asking for a no-cost MRI review.*

*Our MRI review is an informational review of the MRI report that you provide to us and is not a form of diagnosis. A diagnosis and a final determination of whether you may benefit from treatment at Laser Spine Institute can only be made after you have been physically examined by our medical professionals at Laser Spine Institute. The MRI review has no value and will not be billed.